If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
____________________________
(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
Their skeletal hands still gripped rusted iron battleaxes, ancient swords, and heavy banded shields. It was the catacombs. And Aerion knew, with absolute certainty, that they weren't all truly dead. The restless guardians of Bleak Falls Barrow were waiting in the dark.
The sprawling catacombs of Bleak Falls Barrow stretched out before them, an endless, labyrinthine network of burial niches and crumbling stone corridors. The air here was entirely devoid of life, heavy with the suffocating, dusty musk of embalming spices that had long since lost their potency, giving way to the sickly, sweet stench of absolute decay.
Aerion, Jenassa, and Lupin walked through the shadowed halls slowly and with meticulous caution. Every step they took echoed ominously in the suffocating silence. Aerion kept his golden eyes darting left and right, his Frost Sword held at the ready.
He knew, with absolute, terrifying certainty, that the mummified corpses resting in the hundreds of alcoves lining the walls were not all truly dead. The ancient, dark magic of the Dragon Cult still pulsed through the very foundations of the mountain, sustaining the Draugr in a state of eternal, restless servitude.
As they crept forward, Aerion's mind raced, attempting to analyze his magical arsenal. His Restoration skill had proven incredibly effective at rapidly knitting torn flesh and sealing bleeding wounds. But biological healing was a fundamentally different concept from purifying the undead.
To formulate a new spell from scratch, Aerion needed a deep, conceptual understanding of the energy he was trying to manifest. Healing was simple, accelerate cellular regeneration or imagining the regenerating of a flesh.
But purifying a cursed corpse required a manifestation of 'holy' or 'divine' energy. As a modern human soul inhabiting an elven vessel, the concept of divine, holy light was far too abstract and foreign for his gamer oriented mind to grasp and formulate into a stable magical matrix. He couldn't just invent a Turn Undead spell on the fly. He would have to rely on the universal purifier, fire.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the oppressive silence was shattered.
From the shadows just ahead of them, a dry, rattling gasp echoed through the corridor. It sounded like a massive intake of air through a throat filled with dried leaves. Then came the unmistakable, scraping sound of rusted iron dragging against stone, accompanied by the heavy, thudding footsteps of boots that hadn't walked in thousands of years.
"We are not alone," Jenassa hissed, her dual blades already drawn and catching the faint torchlight.
Aerion immediately slipped into a combat stance, raising his left hand as the swirling, superheated vortex of a fireball began to rapidly coalesce in his palm.
From the gloom of the intersection ahead, several figures stepped into the light. They were terrifying to behold. Their skin was stretched tight over their bones like ancient, blackened leather. Their armor was rusted and falling apart, yet they gripped their heavy iron ancient Nord swords and battleaxes with a terrifying, unnatural strength.
But the most horrifying aspect was their eyes, hollow sockets glowing with a piercing, malevolent blue light that locked onto the intruders with absolute hatred.
Because this was reality and not a rigidly leveled video game, Aerion had no immediate way of knowing if these were the lowest class, fragile Draugr, or the faster, far more lethal Restless Draugr. He would have to treat every single one of them as a mortal threat.
"Burn them down!" Aerion shouted, unleashing his held fireball.
The explosive sphere of flames sailed down the corridor and slammed directly into the chest of the leading Draugr. The concussive blast blew the undead warrior entirely in half, its ancient, dry flesh catching fire instantly like kindling.
But the others did not flinch, nor did they show any fear. They charged.
Jenassa intercepted a hulking Draugr wielding a massive two handed battleaxe. She ducked under its incredibly heavy, albeit telegraphed, horizontal swing. The sheer force of the Draugr's blow shattered a piece of the stone wall behind her, but Jenassa was already inside its guard.
She drove her steel sword deep into the creature's ribcage, but the undead didn't even react to the fatal puncture. Realizing that bleeding them out was useless, Jenassa ripped her blade free, pivoted, and brutally hacked at the Draugr's knee joint, severing the dried tendons and bringing the monster crashing down before she drove her dagger directly through the glowing blue light of its eye socket.
Aerion was locked in a brutal melee with two Draugr simultaneously. He parried a rusted sword strike with his Frost Sword, the enchanted ice on his blade biting into the Draugr's iron, before thrusting his left hand forward to blast the creature's face with a jet of continuous fire.
However, as he focused his flames on the first attacker, the second Draugr, a swift, heavily armored Restless Draugr, lunged from the periphery with terrifying, unnatural speed. Aerion tried to twist away, but the confined space of the corridor betrayed him.
The Restless Draugr's ancient iron sword sliced viciously across the left side of Aerion's torso.
Aerion let out a sharp gasp as the rusted blade tore through his fine robes. The heavy, enchanted fabric and the latent, systemic defense of his Light Armor skill absorbed the brunt of the lethal kinetic force, turning what should have been a devastating disembowelment into a painful, bleeding gash across his ribs.
[Light Armor Leveled Up to 41... 42... 43... 44... 45... 46!]
Ignoring the burning pain blooming in his side, Aerion reacted with raw, unadulterated fury. He didn't bother swinging his sword. He grabbed the Restless Draugr by the throat with his left hand, entirely ignoring the creature's rotting stench, and unleashed a point-blank, highly concentrated burst of fire directly into its skull. The intense, magical heat instantly boiled the Draugr's brainpan, reducing its head to a smoking pile of ash and dropping the headless corpse to the stone floor.
[Destruction (Fire) Leveled Up to 63... 64... 65... 66... 67!]
The short, intense skirmish ended as Jenassa decapitated the final remaining Draugr. The corridor was completely silent once more, save for the crackle of Aerion's residual flames burning the ancient flesh.
"Patron!" Jenassa called out, seeing the dark stain of blood rapidly spreading across the left side of Aerion's robes. She hurried over, her crimson eyes tight with concern. "You are hit."
"It is a superficial wound," Aerion gritted through his teeth. The pain was sharp, a burning reminder not to underestimate the speed of the Restless class.
He immediately dropped his Frost Sword to the stone floor and pressed his right hand against his bleeding side. Channeling his Magicka, a brilliant, soothing golden light poured from his palm, sinking deep into the lacerated flesh. Within seconds, the torn muscle fibers knitted themselves tightly back together, the bleeding ceased entirely, and the torn fabric of his robes mended itself perfectly.
[Restoration (Healing) Leveled Up to 29... 30... 31!]
Aerion let out a long breath, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow before picking his sword back up. "I am whole. The magic sustains me. Let us keep moving; the noise of the combat has likely stirred others from their rest."
They pushed deeper into the catacombs. Aerion's memory of the game's layout proved invaluable. As they approached a narrow archway, he threw his arm out, halting Jenassa. He pointed the tip of his sword at a slightly raised, perfectly square stone pressure plate resting innocently in the center of the floor.
"Step around it," Aerion warned softly. "It triggers a spiked wall trap."
Jenassa nodded appreciatively, carefully stepping over the hidden trigger. They continued down the winding halls, dispatching a few more stray Draugr that stumbled out of their alcoves, until they reached a wide, rectangular corridor that was entirely blocked by a terrifying, ancient mechanical hazard.
Three massive, half moon shaped iron pendulum axes were swinging violently back and forth across the width of the hallway. The rusted metal sliced through the air with a heavy, rhythmic, terrifying swish... swish... swish.
Jenassa stepped up to the edge of the trap, her eyes tracking the chaotic, deadly rhythm of the swinging blades. "Allow me, Patron. I am lighter on my feet."
Waiting for the perfect, split second opening, the Dark Elf suddenly dove forward. She executed a flawless, low roll beneath the first swinging axe, sprang to her feet, sidestepped the second blade by mere inches, and dashed past the third just as it slammed into the stone wall.
Landing safely on the other side, she immediately grabbed a rusted iron lever set into the wall and pulled it down with all her weight.
With a loud, grinding screech of ancient gears, the massive pendulum axes shuddered, slowed, and finally ground to a complete halt, locking safely into the ceiling.
"Clear!" Jenassa called out.
Aerion, with Lupin staying incredibly close to his boots, calmly walked through the now disarmed death trap. They proceeded through the heavy wooden doors on the other side, entering a cramped, claustrophobic stone hallway lined with vertical burial caskets.
As they walked past a particularly large sarcophagus, the heavy stone lid suddenly exploded outward with a deafening crash. A towering Restless Draugr burst from the casket, its sword already raised to strike.
But Jenassa's reflexes were inhuman. Before the Draugr could even complete its battle cry, her steel sword flashed in the dim light, cleanly decapitating the creature in a single, brutal, sweeping strike. The headless body tumbled out of the casket and crashed heavily to the floor.
"Too slow," Jenassa muttered, kicking the corpse aside.
Aerion walked over to the side of the room, locating the rusted iron lever he remembered from his previous life. He hauled it downward, and the heavy iron gate blocking their path slowly raised, granting them access to the next major section of the barrow.
Stepping through the gate, the suffocating, dusty air of the catacombs was suddenly replaced by a blast of freezing, damp air. They had entered a massive, subterranean natural cavern. A rushing underground river cut through the center of the gorge, fed by a roaring waterfall that cascaded from the darkness above.
As they walked along the treacherous, icy stone path bordering the subterranean river, Aerion's eyes caught a familiar, bioluminescent glow clinging to the damp cavern walls.
"Hold a moment," Aerion said, stepping closer to the rocky surface.
Growing in small clusters along the damp stone were several large, pulsing green fungi. Glowing Mushrooms. They were a highly valuable alchemical ingredient.
Aerion carefully reached out and harvested three large caps, ensuring not to damage the delicate spores. As he dropped them into his spatial inventory, the system registered a minute increase in his carry weight by exactly 0.05 KG.
They continued down the winding, spiral path that hugged the cavern wall. The path narrowed significantly, bordered by deep, rushing water pits on both the left and the right sides.
As they rounded a blind corner, a massive, terrifying shape blocked the narrow bridge ahead.
It was another Frost Troll. It had likely wandered into the cavern from a deeper sinkhole, using the subterranean river as a hunting ground. The beast let out a deafening, echoing roar, beating its massive, muscular chest before charging directly at them down the narrow stone path.
"I will take the legs!" Jenassa shouted, fearlessly diving forward.
Because of the incredibly narrow confines of the bridge, Aerion couldn't use his massive, sweeping area of effect spells without risking hitting Jenassa. He had to be precise. He focused his magicka entirely into his right palm, conjuring a highly concentrated, blindingly hot beam of continuous fire.
The jet of flames struck the charging troll directly in its center of mass, igniting its thick white fur and causing the beast to shriek in agonizing pain. Blinded by the fire and panicking, the troll swung its massive claws wildly.
Jenassa, utilizing the beast's distraction perfectly, slid under its blind, sweeping strike. She drove both her steel sword and her iron dagger deep into the thick tendons of the troll's right leg. The monster roared, its leg buckling under its immense weight.
Stumbling forward and completely unbalanced by the severed tendons, the burning Frost Troll tipped over the edge of the narrow stone bridge, plummeting into the dark, rushing waters of the pit below with a massive splash.
They didn't wait to see if it survived the fall. They hurried across the bridge, following the winding cavern path until it finally reconnected with the carved stone architecture of the ancient Nords.
They walked up a wide, sweeping stone ramp, arriving at a large intersection that featured three distinct archways. Aerion glanced at the middle path, noting that it was completely choked and rendered impassable by a massive, tangled wall of petrified tree roots.
"To the right," Aerion directed, leading them through the open archway.
They entered a massive, sprawling chamber. The ceiling here had partially collapsed centuries ago, filling the center of the room with a mountain of shattered stone rubble and debris. Standing amidst the ruins, their glowing blue eyes cutting through the darkness, were a half dozen heavily armed Restless Draugr.
The moment Aerion and Jenassa entered the room, the undead horde turned and charged.
The battle was an exhausting, brutal slugfest of attrition. Aerion relentlessly spammed highly concentrated fireballs, blowing the rusted shields and ancient armor off the charging Draugr, while Jenassa danced through the rubble, her blades a blur of lethal steel as she dismantled the undead piece by piece.
They fought with a seamless, unspoken synergy, covering each other's blind spots until the final Restless Draugr was reduced to a burning pile of ash and shattered bone.
As the echoes of combat faded, a profound, heavy silence settled over the rubble filled room.
Aerion leaned heavily against his Frost Sword, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. The sheer, continuous expenditure of massive amounts of Magicka, combined with the brutal physical exertion of dodging and parrying in the freezing cold, was taking a significant toll on his stamina. Jenassa looked equally exhausted, her dark leather armor slick with sweat and the foul, oily residue of the undead.
"We hold here," Aerion commanded, his voice slightly raspy. He sheathed his sword. "We need to replenish our energy reserves."
With a practiced thought, Aerion accessed his spatial inventory and manifested the heavy canvas supply bag they had purchased from Hulda.
He pulled out a large, waxed cloth bundle containing the roasted meat and several hunks of fresh bread, handing a generous portion to Jenassa before tossing a thick cut of venison to Lupin, who eagerly devoured it near the rubble.
Jenassa took the food with a grateful nod, taking a massive bite of the roasted meat. She watched in sheer fascination as Aerion smoothly tucked the remaining supplies back into the invisible void of his inventory.
"I must admit, Patron," Jenassa said between bites, wiping a smear of grease from her chin. "Having access to such high level dimensional magic is truly, incredibly convenient. I have marched on campaigns where half our energy was spent simply hauling the supply wagons through the mud. You carry a feast and an armory in the palm of your hand."
Aerion nodded his head, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of bread. "I consider myself very lucky to have encountered the knowledge, Jenassa. It changes the fundamental rules of engagement."
As they ate, Aerion opened his internal system interface to review the massive influx of experience he had accumulated during their chaotic descent through the catacombs.
The sheer volume of fire magic he had used to annihilate the Draugr swarms and the Frost Troll had caused his primary offensive skill to skyrocket.
[Destruction (Fire) Leveled Up 29 Times! Current Level: 96!]
The continuous, aggressive skill leveling had successfully pushed his overall character level up a staggering four times. He was growing exponentially more powerful with every room they cleared.
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 62!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 63!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 64!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 65!]
Aerion mentally pulled up his Attribute allocation screen. He now possessed exactly 4 unspent Attribute Points. Feeling the lingering physical exhaustion of the recent melee, he decided to heavily prioritize his endurance.
He allocated 2 points directly into Stamina, instantly feeling a rush of revitalizing energy flood his tired muscles. His lungs expanded, and the heavy ache in his legs vanished. This massive boost in physical endurance also passively increased his total carry weight capacity by 10 KG. He then allocated 1 point to Health, fortifying his physical resilience, and the final point to Magicka, expanding his arcane reservoir even further.
[Stamina increased by 20! Current Stamina: 310/310]
[Maximum Carry Weight increased by 10 KG! Current Max: 410 KG]
[Health increased by 10! Current Health: 320/320]
[Magicka increased by 10! Current Magicka: 450/450]
Feeling completely refreshed and operating at absolute peak efficiency, Aerion finished his meal and securely stored the canvas supply bag back into his inventory.
"Are you ready?" Aerion asked, looking over at Jenassa.
The Dark Elf stood up, stretching her neck with a sharp, satisfying crack before drawing her weapons. "Lead the way, Patron."
Together with Lupin, they walked to the far end of the rubble filled chamber. Looming before them was a set of massive, intricately carved wooden double doors, bound in thick iron. Pushing them open, they finally crossed the threshold and entered the deepest, most sacred section of the crypt, the Bleak Falls Sanctum.
The atmosphere in the Sanctum was palpably different. It was grander, more imposing, and steeped in a heavy, suffocating aura of ancient magic. They entered a wide, elevated room. In the exact center of the chamber burned a massive, roaring iron brazier, casting a warm, flickering orange light across the stone. The wall sconces and torches in this room were all fully lit.
Aerion paused for a moment, looking at the eternal flames. He wondered briefly if the Draugr actively maintained these specific fires, mindlessly performing their ancient duties, or if it was simply the residual, ambient magical power that surrounded every ancient Nordic ruin that kept the flames burning for millennia.
They didn't linger to debate the logistics of undead janitorial work. They continued through a wide hallway and turned left, immediately encountering another trapped corridor.
This hallway featured a set of three massive, swinging iron pendulum axes, identical to the ones they had bypassed earlier. Jenassa didn't even break her stride. She moved with practiced, liquid grace, diving through the lethal rhythm of the blades and pulling the rusted release chain on the opposite wall. The massive axes shuddered and ground to a complete halt, allowing Aerion and Lupin to walk safely through to the next chamber.
The room beyond the trap was massive, wide, and incredibly dangerous. The ground floor was lined with several heavy steel coffins, while a raised, wooden balcony wrapped around the upper perimeter of the room.
The moment they stepped onto the flagstones, the room erupted into chaos.
Two of the heavy steel coffins closest to them immediately burst open by sheer, undead force, the heavy lids clattering loudly to the floor. Two massive, heavily armored Restless Draugr stepped out, their battleaxes raised. But the threat wasn't just on the ground.
"Archers above!" Jenassa yelled.
Standing on the second floor wooden balcony were two more Draugr, already drawing back the strings of their ancient, bone carved bows, aiming directly down at them.
"I have the archers!" Aerion roared, taking command of the battlefield. "Hold the ground!"
Jenassa didn't hesitate. She threw herself entirely into a brutal, close quarters melee with the two heavy Draugr that had emerged from the coffins, using her superior speed to dodge their massive, sweeping strikes while looking for an opening to hamstring them.
Aerion completely ignored the melee fighters, keeping his eyes locked on the balcony above. As the first Draugr archer leaned over the wooden railing to loose an arrow, Aerion unleashed a rapid fire barrage of fireballs.
The explosive spheres of magic slammed into the wooden balcony with devastating force. The dry, ancient timber instantly caught fire, splintering and shattering under the concussive blasts.
The first Draugr archer took a fireball directly to the chest, its ancient body turning into a blazing torch as it plummeted over the railing, crashing heavily to the stone floor below.
The second archer managed to loose an arrow, the iron shaft grazing Aerion's shoulder, but the High Elf didn't even flinch. He adjusted his aim and fired a highly concentrated, continuous beam of fire that engulfed the remaining archer and the section of balcony it stood upon. The undead sniper collapsed into a pile of burning ash.
[Destruction (Fire) Leveled Up 99... 100... Reaching MAX Level!]
With the high ground threat completely neutralized, Aerion drew his Frost Sword and charged into the fray alongside Jenassa. Caught in a brutal, pincer maneuver between the lightning fast Dark Elf and the magically empowered High Elf, the remaining Restless Draugr were quickly dismantled, their ancient bones shattered and their glowing eyes extinguished.
Once the room was clear, Aerion sheathed his sword and jogged up the sweeping stone stairs to the partially burning second floor. He kicked aside the ashes of the fallen archer and knelt down.
Lying on the scorched wood was the Draugr's weapon, a massive, beautifully grim Ancient Nord Bow, crafted from dark, petrified wood and bone, alongside a heavy leather quiver containing 8 Ancient Nord Arrows.
Aerion accessed his inventory. He mentally selected the standard, unimpressive Long Bow he had been carrying and dropped it onto the floor, discarding the cheap wood. He then picked up the vastly superior Ancient Nord Bow and the 8 heavy arrows, securely placing them into the spatial void of his inventory.
With his arsenal upgraded, Aerion called for Jenassa and Lupin, and they crossed the heavy stone bridge spanning the upper level, heading toward the final major antechamber.
They stepped into a wide, beautifully carved room. The walls on either side were covered in massive, intricate stone murals depicting ancient Atmorans offering worship and sacrifices to terrifying, winged dragons. The heavy weight of history pressed down on them as they walked toward the far end of the room.
Blocking their path forward was the most famous, iconic obstacle in all of Skyrim.
It was a massive, impenetrable steel gate, set seamlessly into the stone wall. The door was incredibly complex, featuring a central mechanism with three perfectly circular keyholes. Surrounding the keyholes were three massive, rotating stone rings, each intricately carved with three distinct animal symbols.
Jenassa stepped up to the massive steel door, running a gloved hand over the freezing, immovable metal. She looked at the strange, rotating rings and the lack of any visible lever or chain.
"We are locked out, Patron," Jenassa stated, her voice laced with heavy frustration. She stepped back, analyzing the thick stone archway. "There is no keyhole for a standard lockpick, and the steel is far too thick to cut through. What should we do? Should we search the catacombs for a hidden mechanism?"
Aerion let out a low, confident chuckle. He reached into his robes, accessing his spatial inventory, and pulled his hand free.
Resting in his palm, gleaming beautifully under the ambient torchlight, was the Golden Claw.
"There is no need to search, Jenassa," Aerion smiled, holding up the heavy gold artifact. "That is exactly why I ensured we acquired this before climbing the mountain."
Jenassa's crimson eyes widened in absolute shock as she looked from the solid gold, three pronged claw in his hand to the three perfectly matched keyholes in the center of the steel door. "By the Gods... Arvel and his bandits never had a chance. They were entirely locked out of the true prize."
"Exactly," Aerion said smoothly. He stepped up to the door, examining the massive stone rings. "Now, assist me. Spin the outer, largest ring until the carving of the Bear rests at the very top."
Jenassa quickly stepped forward, placing both hands on the heavy outer stone ring. With a loud, grinding scrape of rock, she rotated it until the Bear was positioned perfectly at twelve o'clock.
"Now," Aerion instructed, reading the sequence he had perfectly memorized from the palm of the claw in his past life. "Spin the middle ring until the carving of the Moth, the butterfly, is at the top. And the inner, smallest ring must display the Owl."
Jenassa moved efficiently, grinding the middle ring to the Moth, and the inner ring to the Owl.
Bear. Moth. Owl.
"Stand back," Aerion commanded gently.
Jenassa stepped away as Aerion approached the center of the mechanism. He raised the Golden Claw, aligning the three solid gold prongs with the three circular keyholes. He pushed the artifact forward. It slid into the lock with a flawless, satisfying click.
Aerion gripped the back of the claw and twisted it firmly to the right.
Instantly, the ancient, incredibly complex internal mechanisms of the door sprang to life. A deep, echoing thrum vibrated through the floorboards.
The three stone rings locked into place, and the massive steel door slowly, majestically descended into the floor, a cloud of centuries old dust billowing out to welcome them. Aerion quickly pulled the Golden Claw free, safely storing the immensely valuable artifact back into his inventory, and looked into the next room beyond.
_____________________________
[Main Panel] Name: Aerion Race: High Elf (Altmer) Health: 320/320 Stamina: 310/310 Magicka: 450/450 Level: 61 ➝ 65
Skills: Animal Affinity (MAX LEVEL), Fast Skill Levelling (MAX LEVEL), Fast Magic Mastery (MAX LEVEL), Destruction (Fire/Lightning) (Level MAX/52), Persuasion (Level 71), Smithing (Level 22), Sneak (Level 26), One Handed (Level 67), Restoration (Healing) (Level 31), Two Handed (Level 65), Lockpicking (Level 9), Archery (Level 72), Alteration (Level 4), Enchanting (Level 19), Light Armor (Level 46), Block (Level 60), Illusion (Level 6), Pickpocket (Level 8)
[Inventory Panel]
1x Steel Dagger, Potions of Minor Stamina, Small Sack, Poacher's Axe, Copper and Onyx Circlet, Mammoth Tusk, Iron Shield, Steel Mace, Steel Warhammer, the Golden Claw, Calm Spellbook, Provision Bag, Silver Ring, Arvel's Journal, Inkwell & Quill, Copper Garnet Necklace, Thief Book, Scroll Of Summoning (Wolf), Scroll Of Healing, Steel Dagger of Minor Souls, Weak Potion of Paralysis, & Ancient Nord Bow
2x Gold Garnet Rings, Gold Ring, Iron Mace, Steel Axe, Steel Greatsword, & Lesser Soul Gem,
3x Silver Rings, Sapphire, Iron Greatsword, Steel Sword, Scroll Of Fireball, & Glowing Mushrooms
4x Lockpicks, Potions of Minor Magicka, Silver Garnet Rings, & Spider Eggs
6x Ruby & Amethyst
7x Potions Of Minor Healing
8x Iron Arrows & Ancient Nord Arrows
Weight: 112.90 KG / 455 KG
Septims = 51,398